Electrically-controlled trap-door for mines or tunnels.



No. "7'72,66 1. PATENTED OCT. 18, 1904.1

J. KRZYZANOWSKI 6L S. WYSOCKI. ELBGTRIGALLY CONTROLLED TRAP'DOOR FOR MINES 0R TUNNELS.

. APPLIUATIoiI FILED 12113.25, 1904.

N`0 MODEL.

Patented October 18, 1904.

JOSEPH KRZYZANOWSKI AND sTANIsLAUs wrsocin, or Juzowim, Russin.

ELECTRICALLY-CONTROLLED TRAP-DOOR FOR MINES OR TUNNELS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 772,661, dated October 1.8, 1904.

Application filed February Z5, 1904:. Serial No. 195,249. (No model.) I

To all whom, it mayconcern:

Be it known that we, JosnrH KRZYZANOW- sin and STANIsLAUs WYsooKI, both subjectsv a well-known method was employed which` consists in shutting up or separating the seat of fire bytwo or several dams or board walls, so as to prevent, on the one hand, the fresh air from entering the seat and enlarging the lire and, on the other hand, to prevent the smoke and lire-gases from passing in all directions into the other galleries through the air-roads and the air-shafts. This method is, however, most defective and objectionable, for the reason that the construction of the dams or board walls onlytakes place after the outbreak of the iire,`and it requires a rather long time for iinishing them, during which time the rapidly-propagating gasesoi' the fire may already have lled all the parts of the mine between the place of lire and-the air-shafts and sufocated most if not all the miners.

Our invention relates to an electricallycontrolled trap-door, of which a convenient number is disposed in the ventilation system of a mine or of a tunnel in such a manner that the mme or tunnel is thereby divided into a corresponding number of sections, each controlled 4by two or more trap-doors. Thenv the moment any place is on lire the respective trap-doors can. be closed from a central station or other place by. electricity, whereby -1 motor for closing it and with one or several `-electromagnets for securing it in its closed n fposition, and these electricdevices are so artrap-door and its frame.

ranged as to consume the least quantity possible of electric current.

We will now proceed to describe our invention with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a cross-section through a gallery and a front view of a two-winged opened Fig. 2 is a horizontal section through 'the same on the line c Z in Fig. 1. v Fig. 3 is a cross-sectionthrough a gallery and a front view of a modilied opened trap-door andits frame. Fig. 4. is a yvertical central longitudinal section through a part yof this gallery and through the same trap-door; and Fig. 5 is a cross-section, on anv enlarged scale, through an electric arrangement for operating the trap-door, taken, ior

' example, on the line ct in Fig. 3.

Similar characters of reference refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

The trap-door (shown at Figs. 1 and 2) is provided with two wings 1 1 turning around vertical axes at the sides of the frame 2. These wings 1 1 are normally held in their opened positions by means of suitable weights 3 3 and ropes or chains led over guiding-rollers,

whichlatter are mounted in brackets of any I t trap-door 1 1 may be of wood, iron, or other materiali The two wings 1 1 are further connected by ropes or chains 4 '4. with two pulleyskeyed upon the arbor of an ,electric m0- tor,.similar to 5 in Fig. 5, outside the casing 6, the ropes or chainsli i being led over suitable guiding-rollers similar to 1() and 9 in Fig.

5. Within the casing 6 two electromagnets,

similar to 7 in Fig 5, are arranged, the armaturessimilar to 13 in Fig. 5, oi' which are i'astened onthe two wings 1 1, and the coils of the two electromagnets are connected in multiple with theelectric motor. In the one wire between each'electromagnet-'coil and the binding-post of the electric motor two contact- Y,

springs, similar to 8 8 in Fig. 5, are inserted, which normally touch each other. On each wing 1 an insulated pin, similar to 11 in Fig. 5, is secured, which carries on its end a tapering piece, similar'to 12 in Fig. 5, of insulating material, which can enter through an opening provided in the wall of the casing 6 and detach the two contact-springs 8 8 in Fig. 5 to break the circuit. The said wire of the electromagnet-coil is further connected'by a separate wire with the circuit leading to the source of electricity on the central station. It will now be evident that when from the central station the respective circuit is closed, the current will first cause the electric motor to run and to wind the ropes or chains 4 4 on its pulleys against the action of the weights 3 3, thus closing the two wings 1 1 of the trapdoor until the tapering pieces 1Q in Fig. 5 disconnect the electric motor from the circuit, while the two electromagnets attract their armatures, and thereby secure the two wings of the trap-door in their closed positions as long as the fire is not yet extinguished and all danger both for human beings and for material is not over. Only after the delivery of the miners and when no further damage from the re need be feared the circuit is again broken from the central station, when the trap-door will be released and allowed to lbe opened by the weights 3 3. Preferably the edges of the door-frame 2 and those of the door-wings 1 1 are lined with strips of indiarubber, asbestos, or other material for procuring a perfect air-tight closure of the trapdoor, and thus preventing air and smoke from passing over. This arrangement affords the advantage that the least amount of electric current Will be required for closing the trap-door, as it is the electric motor which requires more electric current than the electromagnets and the former needs but make a few revolutions for closing the trap-door, whereupon it is disengaged in the manner described and only the coils of the two electromagnets remain in the circuit to energize the magnets until the fire has ceased, which may be after several days or even weeks, according to the'circumstances, during which time the circuit must remain closed. Thus a comparatively small quantity of electric current will be sufcient for securing the respective trap-doors in their closed positions until all dangers are over. This means a saving of money.

It is immaterial of what kind or construction the trap-doors are. For example, Figs. 3 and 4 show a single trap-door 1 turning around a horizontal axis on the top of the door-frame 2 and being normally held in its horizontal opened position by a lever and weight 3. The door 1 is connected with the pulley 14 on the arbor 15 of the electric motor 5, Fig. 5, by means of arope or chain 4, led over suitable guiding-rollers 10 9. This construction of the trap-door is specially suitable for galleries in which rail-tracks are laid. In the normal state the tracks are completely free, wh-ile in the event of a fire or danger the trap-door is closed in the manner described above and secured in the closed position by the electromagnet 7 until all danger is removed and the current is broken, when the trap-door will be automatically returned to its horizontal opened position by the weight'. 3. Of course the trap-door 1 may be held in its opened position in any other known manner by springs o r weights.

The new trap-door presents the important advantage that any section of the mine (er tunnel) can be shut up in a few minutes or even seconds and with perfect safety, so that the lire can be limited very quickly owing to the stoppage of the airsupply, while the smoke and lire-gases are prevented from passing into the other sections of the mine, so that the lives of the miners therein are no longer endangered, as hitherto.

The electrically-controlled trap-door can be varied in many respects without deviating from the spirit of our invention.

That we claim as our invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In an electrically-controlled trap-door of the class herein described, the con'ibination with a frame secured in the walls of a gallery, of a trap-door on said frame, means for nermally holding said trap-door in its opened position, an electric motor secured on said frame, means for closing said trap-door on said electric motor being actuated, an electromagnet secured on said frame, the armature of which is affixed on said trap-door, a circuit connecting said electric motor and the coil of said electromagnet with a central station, and means for switching said electric motor out of and the coil of said electromagnet into the circuit as the trap-door closes.

2. In an electrically-controlled trap-door of the class herein described, the combination with a frame secured in the walls of a gallery, of a two-winged trap-door on said frame, means for normally holding said two-winged trapdoor in its opened position, an electric motor secured on said frame, means for closing said two-winged trap-door on said electric motor being actuated, two electromagncts secured on said frame, the armatures of which are affixed on the two wings of said trap-door, a circuit connecting said electric motor and the coils of said two electromagncts with a central station, and means forswitching outsaid electric motor and switching in the coils of said two electremagnets when said two-win ged trap-doei' is closed.

3. In an electrically-controlled trap-door of the class herein described, the combination with a frame secured in the walls of a gallery, of a trap-door on said frame, means for normally holding said trap-door in its opened position, an electric motor secured on said frame and having on its arbor a pulley, a rope connecting said pulley with said trap-door for closing the latter on said electric motor being actuated, means for guiding said rope, an

IOO

after it has wound up said rope on said pulley `and thereby closed said trap-door.

electromagnet secured on said frame, the armature of which is aiiixed on said trap-door, v a circuit connecting said electric motor and the coil of said electromagnet in multiple with aA central station, two contact-springs inserted in the circuit between said coil of said electromagnet and said electric motor and normally touching each other, a pin secured on said trap-door, and a tapering piece of insulating material secured on said pin and adapted for detaching said two contact-springs so as toI disengage from the circuit said electric motor 4. In an electrically-controlled trap-door of the class herein described, the combination with a frame secured in the walls of a gallery, of a two-winged trap-door onsaidframe, means for normally holding said two-winged trapdoor in its opened position, an electric motor secured on said frame and having on its arbor two pulleys, two ropes connecting said two` pulleys with the two wings of said trap-door for closing the latter on said electric motor being actuated, means for guiding said ropes, two electromagnets secured on said frame, the armatures of which are aliixed on the twoV wingsof said trap-door, a circuit connecting said electric motor and the coils of said two velectromagnets in multiple with a central station, two pairs of contact-springs inserted in the two connections between the coils of said two electromagnets and said electric motor, the two contact-springs inv each pair normally touching each other, two pins secured on the two wings of said trap-door, and two tapering pieces of insulating material secured on .said two pins and adapted for detaching the contact-springs in each of said two pairs of contact-springs so as to disengage from the Witnesses for signature of J. Krzyzanowskl.

'MATTHEW B. OLoZEwsKI, W. HoLDFUcHs.

yWitnesses `for signature of S. Wysockiz- MATTHEW B. OLoZEWsKI. f vYB. ZABrooK. f v 

